The 40th anniversary issue of Rolling Stone interviewed several top actors on their political views. Meryl Streep and George Clooney each disparaged conservatives in different ways. Streep compared the Bush administration to the Nazis, and Clooney compared conservatives to the Salem witch burners. In line with Streep's current role in the flop Lions for Lambs, Rolling Stone film critic Peter Travers asked about playing the part of "the hated, compromised media," and she replied:
The dilemma of the journalist is everybody’s dilemma. The Constitution and the Bill of Rights protected the Fourth Estate so vehemently because we rely on these voices. And if we don’t have them, then God bless Sean Penn for speaking up. God bless the people who put themselves on the line to be fodder for Fox News and Rush Limbaugh’s next raise. We all have to be citizens first, and then whatever our job is.
The Nazi comparison came when Travers asked: How to do things change for the better?
Change is precipitated by outside events, big cataclysms like 9/11 and Katrina, that cause the public to wipe the gunk out of its eyes. One thing that really bothers me is when the media cedes its responsibility. When the government said, ‘you can’t photograph coffins coming home from Iraq,’ that was a clear abrogation of the right to a free press. And the press rolled over. Look at how the German people have lived, for all these years, with a legacy of "How could you let that happen?" We might be living with that kind of legacy in the next fifty years.
Streep also said feminine voices were superior: "The nurturance of what we have, as opposed to conquering the new territory and making them submit." When asked how we should get politically engaged, she hit that point again: "Nobody wants to hear me give a political speech. But I can align by sensibility and my heart, my voice, and all my stamina with [Marxist playwright] Bertolt Brecht and do Mother Courage onstage and feel that it’s getting out there, that idea of ‘wars go on, and who suffers over and over again?’ It’s the women and children. That’s the whole story. It’s a story worth telling."
Travers also interviewed Clooney, who unspooled the usual frustrating notion that liberalism is equal to open-mindedness:
Personally, I want a campaign to stop making "liberal" a bad word. Look it up in the dictionary and you’re basically saying, "I’m willing to hear everybody’s point of view." It makes us lousy debaters, but I can’t apologize for being a liberal.
And conservatives? They've always been wrong:
Go through the history of time. During the Salem witch hunt, the liberals thought there was no such thing as witches, and the conservative view was "They’re witches and they all have to die." I don’t argue with conservatives over morality. I don’t preach morality, certainly, but I won’t be told that liberal is immoral.
Clooney said if he ran for president, it would be on the platform of "yeah, I did it," – did women, did drugs, and "Now, let’s talk about the issues." He added: "Anybody who’s running who’s gone through the Sixties and didn’t smoke a joint, I don’t want you for president. You haven’t lived at all. What the f–k’s wrong with you?"
Clooney was encouraged by the notion that Rudy Giuliani would draw support from the religious right, and then somehow draws a straight line from Jesus to Hamas:
That tells you the rest of the country is a little bit moved away from the idea of this "Jesus is right about everything" kind of mood. I’m not knocking religion, but there was a reason we left England: Church and state have to be separate. I love that we fought to get all these democracies in place, and they vote in theocracies, including Palestine. It worked out really well, now that we’ve got religious leaders everywhere.
Clooney doesn't seem to realize that many the people who came over from England were religious people looking for freedom to worship God in their own way, not set up Haight-Ashbury.
—Tim Graham is Director of Media Analysis at the Media Research Center.
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And Americans just compare
November 12, 2007 - 06:24 ET by FairlightAnd Americans just compare them to really bad actors; Michael Clayton is one of the worst movies I've seen all year...ditto Lions for Liberals.
Then only folks who take
November 12, 2007 - 13:00 ET by ConservativeRexThen only folks who take these NeoStalinist seriously are the one's interviewing them at the time. These knuckleheads think they actually are important? I have not, I will not spend one nickel on any of these idiots movies.
These people are all fake, nothing about them is real. They couldn't hold a normal job if they had to.
Did anyone happen to see
November 13, 2007 - 00:39 ET by RESTLESS 1Did anyone happen to see how "lions for lambs" did this weekend?
Doesn't look too good. Only 1.7 more than the FOURTH installment of the "saw" series. I hope they all lose their asses on this.
Personally, I want a
November 12, 2007 - 06:36 ET by motherbeltPersonally, I want a campaign to stop making "liberal" a bad word. Look
it up in the dictionary and you’re basically saying, "I’m willing to
hear everybody’s point of view." It makes us lousy debaters, but I
can’t apologize for being a liberal. Meryl Streep (emphasis added)
HAHAHAHAHAHAH(hic)HAHAHAA(cough cough)HAHAHAHAHA(choke)HAHAHA(cough cough) HAHAHAHAHA...hahahahaha...haha....Phew! OK, I'm all right now.
Oh, right, that's rich. The "I don't think he should be speaking here" crowd is willing to listen to other points of view!
Excuse me, Ms. Streep, but it's the Liberals on college campuses who are using the "Heckler's Veto", shouting down and disrupting speeches by David Horowitz, Ann Coulter, and other conservatives.
She's right about one thing...liberals are lousy debaters....their idea of debate is to tell the other side to shut up.
Clooney
November 12, 2007 - 06:57 ET by MikeDThe liberals are right. They are more open minded.
Unfortunately they are so open minded that their
brains fell out.
What a shame.
They are just mad because
November 12, 2007 - 07:48 ET by msh1973They are just mad because their movie is in the tank.
This is why I don't go to the movies anymore. I wouldn't spend my hard earned money to help support these people for anything in the world. What a couple of morons!
...speaking of which - why
November 12, 2007 - 13:10 ET by TruthMonger...speaking of which - why are they advertising Lions for Lambs on NB? It can't possibly be for ticket sales. They must be trying to taunt us. Doesn't even work when they sell tickets tho - let alone a bomb like this...
They can't get people to go
November 12, 2007 - 08:18 ET by Right2thePointThey can't get people to go to see their lousy movies to provoke reactions so they go to the liberal press to provoke reactions, they will keep on stepping up the food chain of the liberal media hoping to get reactions to validate themselves and point at the anger an say see what the big bad conservatives did.
They figure the angry reaction they are trying to provoke will galvanize the people to their argument.
Kids try that until they learn what a time out is, they try again and they get more time outs.
The best possibility is for conservatives to simply ignore them and don't even have commentary like this article even brought up any more to give them press. If any of us wan't to check the latest status, all we have to do is google them.
To give them a soapbox enables them rather than modifies their behavior except to make it worse.
Simply shun them, it is what they have earned. When the left see's no success by bad example, no press earned except by their side and no change, they will consider their efforts and tactics a failure and personally hold them responsible.
Take a vote among the commentors if you must but don't worry about polling me on these two...I vote to shun.
}}---> Keep it up Clooney
November 12, 2007 - 08:47 ET by Cool ArrowTruth is, we didn't need any more reasons to stay away in droves from "Oceans 66" or whatever iteration is available.
I just bought Veggie Tales "The Wizard of Ha's" which I thouroughly expect to enjoy with my Grandkids today.
If I want heavy-handed, I'll take cartoons every time.
Not a chance these Silver Screen Preachers could make a "Schindler's List" or "We Were Soldiers". They're too swept up in their own sense of self importance to lend any talent to real art.
I'm confused - why do
November 12, 2007 - 09:56 ET by TruthMongerI'm confused - why do liberals only like it when Sean Penn "speaks up?" Doesn't clooney like it when Rush and Ann speak up as well:)?
I like it when Penn speaks up - helps the conservative cause alot - free of charge
Once again liberals show
November 12, 2007 - 08:47 ET by ahusserOnce again liberals show that they are incapable of recognizing gradations of thought and deed. They spout their knee jerk talking points. If they had a little red book they would be waving it in our faces at all times. They can't differentiate from a differing maybe conservative point of view and real fascism or totalitarianism. In essence these folks through their hate speech are needlessly polarizing the political process (I thought hate speech was against the law?) People with opposing views are always demonized as extremist and/or fascist or Nazis (Bush is Hitler etc.). Any dialogue there is just becomes a nasty diatribe on their part. It is a shame really because I used to be entertained by the likes Streep and George C. Looney et al. Now they are tainted goods and I, a lover of movies, have to watch everything with a jaundiced and skeptical eye.
PS what is with these constant libera references to Katrina. It has entered the liberal mythos right up there with the 2000 election.
<<Change is precipitated by
November 12, 2007 - 13:22 ET by Seabeach4348<<Change is precipitated by outside events, big cataclysms like 9/11 and Katrina, that cause the public to wipe the gunk out of its eyes. One thing that really bothers me is when the media cedes its responsibility.>>
Yeah. Why the constant reference to Katrina just like the constant reference to the 2000 election by liberals!
1) Any rational person would NOT put 9/11 and hurricane Katrina on the same cataclysmic scale; only a moron would do that. (probably why the libs like to hear from Sean "Spicolli" Penn)
Hurricane Katrina was an event of nature; 750(?) people, unfortunately, died because they did not or could not get out of the way. No, it wasn't caused by AGW or by the president!
9/11 was caused by the same militant radical Islamic fanatics who were at the root of all the terrorism throughout the 1990s. 3000+ normal, ordinary people were just going to work that morning and were brutally murdered in the name of Allah. Sorry, but they didn't have an advanced warning as did people with Katrina.
2) Liberals, get the gunk out of your eyes, once and for all. The people you encourage are the ones who will eagerly slit your throats. You're living in a bubble; get with it.
3) Liberals, just so you know, the lamestream media has ceded its responsibility for many years now. They have long lost sight of their mission a long time ago with their blatant socialist-liberal bias, delusional propaganda, and bald-faced lies. We should fire them.
4) Meryl Creep and George Clowney (credit to someone else here for that AKA) both suck as far as I'm concerned, and I won't sit through any production with either of these two in it.
Streep and Clooney's movies
November 12, 2007 - 08:50 ET by Senior ChiefStreep and Clooney's movies are banned from our household...These folks are not just liberalls, their reasonings are out of whack- way out of perpective. They need to go back to school and get re-educated in real History lesson.
I don't ban them, but I'm
November 12, 2007 - 09:15 ET by NewsbusterbrownI don't ban them, but I'm not inclined to spend money on anything they create anymore. If there is a good movie by one of them on cable, I still might check it out, but that's about it.
}}---> Devil wears Prada
November 12, 2007 - 09:24 ET by Cool ArrowI thought "Prada" was a good movie. Her ability to recite somebody else's dialogue, hit predetermined marks, and portray the requested emotion, doesn't in any way imbue her with any special insight into real world solutions.
a little bit moved away from the idea of this "Jesus is right.."
November 12, 2007 - 09:01 ET by vrwc13"That tells you the rest of the country is a little bit moved away from the idea of this "Jesus is right about everything" kind of mood."
...and look where it has gotton us:
Clooney, think about re-spelling your name to Clowney, because it's clowns like you that are destroying the foundations of what this country stands for.
v
"Jesus is right about everything"
Anybody who’s running
November 12, 2007 - 09:55 ET by CortillaenAnybody who’s running who’s gone through the Sixties and didn’t smoke a
joint, I don’t want you for president. You haven’t lived at all. What
the f–k’s wrong with you?
So taking drugs is necessary to being a good president... riiight. So the men and women of our military who have never tried a joint haven't ever lived? Rather strong criticism coming from someone who makes their living by playing pretend.
www.rhjunior.com/CC/ Great comics with a hefty dose of Christian and anti-nutjob goodness.
"With your mind as high as Mt. Fuji you can see all things clearly. And you can see all the forces that shape events; not just the things near to you." -Miyamoto Musashi
Streep compared the Bush
November 12, 2007 - 09:38 ET by drillanwrStreep compared the Bush administration to the Nazis, and Clooney compared conservatives to the Salem witch burners.
Factually, I believe none of the "accused" during the Salem Witch Trials were "burned" ...
They were either drowned, hanged, or crushed to death, if they didn't starve to death while waiting.
Most of the witch hunts in New England were instigated by jealous neighbors who either had a grudge with each other, or wanted their land/property. An accusation was made because either someones animal had died, or a sick family member had died after a doctor or mid-wife had attended them, or a friggin' book had fallen off a shelf when someone walked by ... Politics was not involved. This WAS a religious community that allowed the basis of their beliefs to be crushed "not bearing false witness" and "coveting". When the accusations began to mount against more and more people those "in charge" couldn't seem to stop the madness.
So, you see, this was a "liberal" thing by today's standards. Believe the false accusation. Someone takes someone to court, screws them over royally, and takes everything ... with the help of willing liberal lawyers and liberal courts ... Redistribution of wealth, and `nat.
England and Europe, on the other hand, burned so many people for witch craft, and various other "reasons", that it is said a thick layer of "grease" coated the sides of the buildings near the execution sites ...
Sorry, go ahead and have that second helping of bacon.
Pot v. Kettle, again
November 12, 2007 - 13:03 ET by mattmThe libs love to compare conservatives to Nazis and witch burners, but the label applies to them.
They are the ones who practice "political correctness" which is thought-control, or thought-policing. This is what the Inquisition was all about, and it it the m.o. of all tyrants.
It is the inspiration for the 1st Amendment and others in the Constitution.
For libs to accuse conservatives of this is so blatantly hypocritical as to invoke feelings of either pity or disgust.
Mattm I have always felt
November 12, 2007 - 13:36 ET by ahusserMattm
I have always felt that Libs project their failings and weakness on others. The are the real fascists. Conservative's supposed hatred and bigotry and intolerance is in reality their hatred and bigotry and intolerance projecting it on others. I do believe that liberalism is a mental illness.
No contradiction
November 12, 2007 - 09:48 ET by Agrarian-DecentralistGraham says, "Clooney doesn't seem to realize that many the people who came over from
England were religious people looking for freedom to worship God in
their own way, not set up Haight-Ashbury."
Clooney's point---as he clearly stated---was that church and state need to be separate. Which is in perfect accord with people coming from England to worship in their own way.
We dissent from the liberal orthodoxy
November 12, 2007 - 10:25 ET by Jack BauerI DISSENT.
England had a Protestant kingdom religion called the Church of England, of whom its head was the monarch or, Defender of Faith.
The idea that this can be compared in any way to the mendacious argument used by the fanaatical religion haters who want to remove religion from the "public" square, is, frankly, intellectually banal.
Comparing so-called issues, such as having a Jesus Creche on public property to the religious conditions in 17 century England, is like comparing putting a loved pet to sleep to a Nazi death camp.
Yet this is exactly the tactics used by expleteive deleted liberals, egged on by athiests and the ACLU.
And if you don't agree with me you are worser than Hitler, and the terrorists have won.
Funny Clooney should
November 12, 2007 - 10:38 ET by Jack BauerFunny Clooney should mention the "Salem Witch Trials."
Who is is that seeks to shut down debate, and publicly "burn" the careers of scientists who dare protest the Manmade Global Warming fanatics.
Why, that would be proud "liberals" like C.Looney.
And just like the witch burners who managed to see evidence of witchcraft, no matter what the poor female said or did...
the MGWing nuts, also manage to conclude that whatever happens, heat, cold, earthquakes, hurricanes, lack of hurricanes, all prove THEM right.
Is this one great "theory" or what!!
Eggs-zactly, JB
November 12, 2007 - 10:49 ET by drillanwrEggs-zactly, JB ...
(Also, those who were accused as being witches weren't limited to females. ... Females just happened to be on the front row because of their mid-wife/nurse status ... and if a baby was stillborn or died shortly after birth THEY were of course highly suspect.)
One thing that really
November 12, 2007 - 10:48 ET by MidAmericaOne thing that really bothers me is when the media cedes its responsibility.
I'm always amused when those from the left think they aren't getting support from the 'public' because they aren't getting their message out. They blame entities like FOX News and Rush for misleading the sheep-like listeners. But we all know it's the listeners (customers) who create the news outlets. No customers, no business (anybody here remember Air-America)? They can't grasp (in spite of their superior intellect) that this country is basically conservative and liberals are a minority. It's why liberals never say during a campaign what they really believe or intend to do.
Yea Clooney - look it up in the dictionary (bigot) ...
November 12, 2007 - 11:30 ET by Gary HallFor George Clooney - the definition of yourself.
"Bigot" - let's go to the Dictionary
Note: Those were the definitions from 4 different dictionaries.
Clooney - how can you settle this inner conflict you are having (the liberals are having). You suggest:
Listen up George, I have a point of view. You are a prejudiced bigot. Are you willing to hear that?
Not only do you make it crystal clear, everytime you open your mouth that you don't tolerate other points of view and that you don't believe that they should even be allowed, you openly express your discrimination of others, who dare to even belong to other groups or who hold a different view.
George Clooney. You are not a liberal, in mind or heart. You are a bigot. Read the dictionary.. that is if you can read.
look up conservative in the
November 12, 2007 - 11:34 ET by TruthMongerlook up conservative in the dictionary
we hear EVERYONE'S opinion
with the MSM in clooney's pocket we don't really have a choice anyway right now
Right back at ya, Hollywood!
November 12, 2007 - 12:27 ET by greenfairieMeryl, just because you built a career on copping accents doesn't mean you know a frickin' thing.
And Clowney, one day I hope both Bill O'Reilly and Fabio whoop your heinie in a dark alley.
Hollywood "liberals"
November 12, 2007 - 14:09 ET by iveseenitallWhat kind of alternate universe do fools like Steep and Clooney live in? Their lack of education is astounding, yet they spout "history". Have they ever read a book of non-fiction? Have they ever read a book at all? They represent and are among the most immature people on the face of the earth, yet they lecture about maturity. Nonetheless, as you listen to these two, you just have to believe that they stopped learning and maturing at about fifteen years old. I have found "liberals" to be the most immature people anyone could ever meet. This particular post reminds me of the latest NB joke video which tells how Whoopy Goldberg called the American government "Nazis". As NB aptly noted, if they were Nazis, a black woman named Goldberg sure wouldn't be hosting a t.v. show. How sad, illogical, ignorant, and immature these "liberals" are!
NEVER,NEVER trust a "liberal"
One's celebrity is no guarantee of intellect
November 12, 2007 - 14:17 ET by PlaceboClooney, Streep and their Hollywood comrades haven’t a clue; expounding their ignorance is testimony to this fact. In fact, undoubtedly, their sense of self-righteousness is indicative of this ill-informed elitism that has permeated not only Hollywood but our schools, from elementary to universities, which are rife with this dullard mindset.
Nevertheless, these self-anointed (“I’m smarter than all of you”) morons help our cause, as their ignorance is utterly transparent. In any case, many “everyday” folks are more than aware that their drivel is hogwash and their ranting, only, confirms that being a celebrity is no guarantee of intellect.
celebrities
November 12, 2007 - 14:26 ET by iveseenitall"...being a celebrity is no guarantee of intellect." Hear,Hear, Placebo!
NEVER,NEVER trust a "liberal"
"The Constitution and the
November 12, 2007 - 22:22 ET by Jerry"The Constitution and the Bill of Rights protected the Fourth Estate so vehemently because we rely on these voices. And if we don’t have them, then God bless Sean Penn for speaking up. God bless the people who put themselves on the line to be fodder for Fox News and Rush Limbaugh’s next raise.."
What she refers to as the "Fourth Estate" has long ago become part of the liberal wing of the government. Rush, Fox, and the blog world have become the true "Fourth Estate" that shines a light upon the lies and wrongs of the entrenched system.
"We all have to be citizens first, and then whatever our job is.."
Unfortunately, she means "world" citizen, which too often means "anti-American".
"When the government said, ‘you can’t photograph coffins coming home from Iraq,’ that was a clear abrogation of the right to a free press.."
Uh no... when the press seeks to use the dead bodies of our brave soldiers as political fodder, THAT is a clear abrogation OF the right of a free press (a policy put in place by Clinton, btw).
"Look at how the German people have lived, for all these years, with a legacy of "How could you let that happen?" We might be living with that kind of legacy in the next fifty years.."
Yes. How could we have let millions of innocent children be slaughtered under the guise of "choice"? How could we have stood by and watched as Hollywood perverted an entire society from within?
"Nobody wants to hear me give a political speech.."
Then why are you constantly giving them?
"‘wars go on, and who suffers over and over again?’ It’s the women and children.."
It's comforting to know that the men fighting and dying to protect our freedoms don't feel any pain.
"Personally, I want a campaign to stop making "liberal" a bad word.."
Unfortunately, that would involve the conversion of an entire ideology.
"Look it up in the dictionary and you’re basically saying, "I’m willing to hear everybody’s point of view." .."
Look it up in the liberal playbook and you're saying, "I'm willing to hear everybody's point of view who agrees with me."
"It makes us lousy debaters.."
No, trying to argue an "emotional opinion" against "facts and logic" makes you a lousy debater.
"Clooney said if he ran for president, it would be on the platform of "yeah, I did it," – did women, did drugs, and "Now, let’s talk about the issues.".."
I don't think putting supreme power in the hands of someone whose attitude is "If there's something I want to do, I'm going to do it", is such a good idea. "Yeah, I did it, sold military technology to Communists for campaign cash, now let's talk issues.." ... Wait, that's already been done.
"Anybody who’s running who’s gone through the Sixties and didn’t smoke a joint, I don’t want you for president. You haven’t lived at all. What the f–k’s wrong with you?".."
Soo.. anyone who did not do something ILLEGAL, just because everyone else was, is somehow unfit for president? I'm glad you cleared that up. I'm also glad you used profanity to make your point.
When asked if he went to war with Iraq to derail the impeachment vote: “I don’t think any serious person would believe that any President would do such a thing." - President Clinton (Dec 1998).